Providence Newberg Medical Center

Green and Gold!

Providence Newberg Medical Center (PNMC) has achieved the United States Green Building Council’s first Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED) Gold Certification for a hospital on the U.S. west coast.

Challenge

In early 2002 PNMC decided to build a new hospital and approached the design, architecture and systems selection with a green perspective. A major objective was to save energy costs over the life of the building by using energy efficient technologies in every facet of design and construction.

Solution

For mechanical systems PNMC turned to Glumac International consulting engineers and Trane. Glumac has years of experience in designing for energy efficiency and sustainability and has completed 20 LEED-certified projects with many more in progress. Glumac provided mechanical systems design services and worked closely with Green Building Services on PNMC’s LEED Gold certification. The heart of the PNMC campus is a Trane Tracer Summit™ building automation system that is fully integrated with the hospital and office building HVAC systems which include two Trane CenTraVac™ chillers, a variable flow chilled water system, eight custom air handling units and more than 300 Trane air terminal units. The Tracer Summit system also monitors the hospital’s isolation room pressure control system and medical gas systems via a Lonworks interface. LEED Gold Certification requires extensive energy use documentation—provided by the Tracer Summit system. The air distribution system provides 100 percent outdoor air for best indoor air quality.

Results

Thanks to a green, sustainable building approach, PNMC enjoys reduced operating costs, a healthier environment for patients, a more productive environment for staff and conserves natural resources. Total energy cost savings are estimated at $178,000 per year, or about 975,000 kWh of electricity and 87,000 therms of natural gas. The "build green" effort will pay off for PNMC in only 14 months by saving nearly 26 percent in annual energy costs. Jeff Schorzman, PNMC Facilities Manager, said, "We now have greater control over the HVAC equipment with real-time monitoring. We can easily set up operating schedules that fit into our overall energy management efforts. We were looking for service—how quickly and thoroughly a supplier can respond. We selected Trane because of their equipment’s reputation and their top-quality service."

About Providence Newberg Medical Center

In addition to energy-efficient HVAC systems, PNMC includes many other green features such as water use reduction, rainwater collection and drought resistant plants. Eighty percent of construction debris was reclaimed and recycled. Natural daylight is used extensively throughout the building. Providence Health System is ranked as the second most integrated health care system in the United States, offering a comprehensive array of health and education services through seven hospital, clinics, health plans, long-term care facilities and home health services. With nearly 14,000 employees, Providence Health System is Oregon’s second-largest private employer.